Method of weaving pile fabrics



C- 1950 F. P. GROAT 2,532,903

METHOD OF WEAVING FILE FABRICS Filed Feb. 2, 1949 I INVENTOR. FFa/zc LsI. Groaii Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OFWEAVING PILE FABRICS Francis P. Groat, Bloomsburg, Pa., assignor to TheMagee Carpet Company, Bloomsburg, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,143

Claims. 1

This invention relates to woven pile fabrics and particularly a methodof weaving a pile fabric having weftwise rows of pile loops with theloops of some rows being of irregular height and arranged in alternationwith the rows of loops of uniform height, either with or withoutintermediate rows of tufts.

Heretofore, pile fabrics have been woven to produce weftwise rows ofloops of irregular height with or without intermediate rows of tufts toobtain decorative effects. All previously known methods for weaving pilefabrics of this character require a plurality of sets of pile warps.Applicants prior application filed June 3, 1947, Serial No. 752,217discloses a method in which pile warps are selectively raised overcutting and knob wires arranged in alternation, so that when the cuttingwires are withdrawn the loops formed thereon will be cut forming rows oftufts, while the withdrawal of the knob wires will raise the loopsformed thereon which reduces the height of the loops in the precedingrow of loops formed from the same pile warps, thereby forming rows ofloops of irregular height. Other methods are known for producing an allloop pile fabric, the rows of loops being irregular in height, but inthese methods it is necessary to use a plurality of sets of pile warps.v

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method ofweaving a pile fabric having a single frame of pile warps andselectively raising portions of the pile warps to form rows of loops ofregular and irregular height arranged in alternation, either with orwithout intermediate rows of tufts.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a method of theabove-mentioned character which can be carried out on a conventionalJacquard Wilton loom by a novel arrangement of plain, cutting and knobpile wires over which the pile warps are selectively raised as the wiresare successively inserted in the fabric.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a pile fabric woven inaccordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the pile wires ofthe loom in carrying out the method,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the fabric shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the fabric shown in Fig. 1,and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the fabric, with the pilewires inserted in the fabric during the process of weaving.

The fabric is woven on a conventional Jacquard Wilton loom with a singleframe of pile yarn and employing a novel arrangement of plain, cuttingand knob pile wires over which the pile warps are selectively raised inaccordance with a pattern. The backing of the fabric is conventional andcomprises upper and lower weft threads 5 and 6 bound together by sets ofbinder warps I and 8. A single frame of pile warps 9 extends between theupper and lower weft threads and stuffer warps, not shown, are disposedbeneath the pile warps. It is apparent a backing of another constructionmay be employed if desired.

In carrying out the method plain wires l0, cutting wires l l and knobwires l2 are successively inserted in the fabric being woven with acutting wire between each plain and knob wire. The wires are inserted asthe pile warps 9 are selectively raised by the Jacquard and afterinsertion of each wire the pile warps are restored to the backingforming rows of loops on the wires. The shank of the cutting wires I iis higher than the shank of either the plain or knob wires Ill and I2and the plain wire i0 is higher than the shank or' knob wire I2 being ofa height corresponding to the height of the knob end l3 wire 12, asclearly shown in Fig. 5. Thus, the loops formed on the plain, cuttingand knob wires will be of different heights but the loops on each wirewill be of the same height. In selecting the pile warps to be raisedover the wires, all of the pile warps may be raised over the plain wireswhereas only some of the warps are raised over the cutting and knobwires. After the desired number of wires have been inserted they aresuccessively withdrawn in the usual manner. When a plain wire iswithdrawn the row of loops I5 will be a uniform height. Withdrawal of acutting wire will cause the knife blade I4 at its end to sever the loopsformed thereon thus forming a row of tufts l6 higher than the row ofloops I5. When a knob wire is withdrawn the loops H formed thereon areincreased in height, as at l8, as the loops pass over the knob end l3which pulls the pile warps from which the loops are formed thus reducingthe height of some of the loops, as at I9, formed by the preceding plainreduce the height of the loops.

wire. The pile warps from which the loops 15 are formed that are to bereduced, pass beneath the cutting wire in order that the pull on thepile warps upon withdrawal of the knob wire will Ordinarily the pilewarps which are raised over the cutting wire pass beneath the knob wirebut 'they may be raised over the knob wire in which event the withdrawalof the knob wire will reduce the height of one leg of the tuft formed bythe cutting wire thus producing a different decorative effect that maybe desirable.

In the finished fabric the pile will comprise rows of loops withintermediate rows of tufts, with some of the rows of loops being ofuniform height and others of irregular height. The rows of loops formedby the plain wire may have a full complement of loops of irregularheight, the rows of tufts formed by the cutting wires will have lessthan a full complement and the rows of loops formed by the knob wireswill have less than a full complement of loops of uniform heightcorresponding to the height of the highest loops in the row of irregularloops.

If it is desired to produce an all loop pile fabric, the cutting wiresmay be eliminated and only the plain and knob wires are used. The plainand knob wires are successively inserted in the fabric with all the pilewarps being raised over the plain wires and selectively raised over theknob wires. Upon withdrawal of the wires the loop pile will compriserows of loops having a full complement of loops of irregular height andintermediate rows of loops of uniform height having less than a fullcomplement of loops.

Thus, it is seen I have provided a method of weaving a pile fabrichaving an embossed or relief effect that requires only one frame of pilewarp and which will be simple and inexpensive to practice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of making a pile fabric having a backing and pile warps heldtherein by elements of the backing which comprises selectively raisingportions of the pile warps from the backing between adjacent weft shotsin accordance with a pattern to form alternate transverse rows of highpile loops, and intervening rows of low and intermediate height loopsraised in alternation between the rows of high loops, cutting the raisedportions forming the rows of high pile loops to form tufts, and raisingthe intervening rows of low pile loops to reduce the height of onlythose intermediate height loops of the immediate preceding row of loopsraised from the same pile warps of which portions are raised to form thelow loops.

2. A method of making a pile fabric having a backing and pile warps heldtherein by elements of the backing which comprises forming the backingwith the pile warps held therein by elements of the backing, selectivelyraising portions of the pile warps from the backing in accordance with apattern to form transverse rows of pile loops of low, high andintermediate height, cutting the rows of high loops to form tufts, andraising the rows of low loops to reduce the height of those loops ofintermediate height of the immediate preceding row of loops formed fromthe same pile warps.

3; A method of weaving a pile fabric on a loom having transverse pilewires which comprises inserting a plurality of non-cutting, cutting andknob wires successively in sheds of selected warps with a cutting wireintermediate a non-cutting and knob wire, said knob wire being of lessheight than said non-cutting wire and said non-cutting wire being ofless height than said cutting wire, weaving the pile warps over saidwires to form weftwise rows of loops of intermediate, high and lowheight, and successively withdrawing said wires to cut the rows of highloops and raise the rows of low loops to reduce the height of thoseloops of intermediate height of the immediate preceding row of loopsformed from the same pile warps.

4. A method as described in claim 3 wherein the low loops are raised toa height no greater than the height of the loops of intermediate height.

5. The method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric floor coveringhaving a warp pile face comprising high and low loops which comprisesinserting into a shed a non-cutting pile wire having a straight loopforming edge, weaving the pile warps over said wire to form a weftwiserow of loops, inserting into a subsequent shed a non-cutting wire ofless height than said first wire having a straight loop forming edgewith a raised portion at its end, selectively weaving the pile warpsover said last mentioned wire to form a weftwise row of loops of lessheight than said first row of loops, withdrawing said first mentionedwire and then withdrawing said second mentioned wire to increase theheight of the loops thereon whereby the loops in the first row of thesame pile warps as the loops in said second row are reduced in height.

FRANCIS P. GROAT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,090,462 Shuttleworth Aug. 17,1937 2,164,090 Shuttleworth June 27, 1939 2,270,103 Baynton Jan. 13,1942 2,477,249 Harding July 26, 1949 2,516,465 Jackson July 25, 1950FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 273,409 Great Britain July.6, 1927

